My family recently celebrated my brother's birthday at Casa Roces. My mom had been wanting to try this place for a while so I thought this was a good choice for us to try it for this special occasion.
Located at the corner of Jose P. Laurel and Aguado Streets and just right in front of Malacanang Palace, Casa Roes is another residence-turned-restaurant, similar to La Cocina De Tita Moning which is just a block away. This restaurant has a colonial, Old Filipino feel to it, with its interesting floor design, beautiful wooden furniture, and Filipiniana memorabilia such as a bust of Jose Rizal and a sarimanok.
The restaurant is named after Joaquin "Chino" Roces, who was the founder of the Associated Broadcasting Company and the Manila Times. (I assume this used to be his house.) A statue of a newsboy holding up a Manila Times paper stands in the middle of a small pond at the entrance of the restaurant, reminding guests of the contributions of this legendary Filipino.
The menu of this restaurant was specially prepared by Cravings. There were so many items on the menu that looked interesting so we decided to over-order. After all, if we couldn't consume everything over lunch, we could just take the leftovers home (which is exactly what we did).
While we ordered the standard Paella Valenciana (P565) - you can't really go wrong with this - I wanted to try something different as well. I also ordered the Paella Morcilla (P500) which is creamy paella rice with Morcilla Iberica and roasted squash. This was a really good choice and I'm glad I got to try something new.
We also got a couple of appetizers, including the Oyster Mushroom Frittura (200). I'm a big fan of mushrooms so I would this to be a wonderfully delicious and addictive starter. It comes with slightly spicy marinara sauce but it is good with or without the sauce.
While everything we ordered was really good, my favorite main course was quite possibly the Pollo Iberico (P800 for a whole chicken). This dish is very well-seasoned and cooked to perfection. Its flavor profile is different from other roast chickens I've had. (Too bad my photo is a bit out of focus.)
Not everything on the menu is Filipino or Spanish-Filipino. The Oven-baked Salmon Wellington (P460) is a salmon fillet stuffed with Boursin cheese in flaky pastry crust and served with a spinach lemon cream sauce. This too was pretty exceptional.
We also tried the Berenjana Casada (P300). This cheese gratinated baked eggplant is prepared with homemade Spanish tomato sauce and a balsamic reduction.
Almost everyone was stuffed at the end of lunch but I still wanted to try at least one dessert. The obvious choice for me was the Malacañan Frozen Souffle (P415). This frozen lemon custard souffle with dark chocolate flakes, pistachio nuts and lemon lavender sauce was stunning. It is quite possibly one of the best desserts I've had, with the flavors and textures of its different ingredients complementing each other perfectly. I remember thinking after having this dish that I wanted to have it again. It was an incredible way to end a fantastic meal.
Apart from these, we also had several other dishes, including Baked Laing dip, Grilled Pork Ribs, Pinakbet with Bagnet, and Lengua. You can check out the full menu here. Since it was my brother's birthday, we also got a full Chocolate Sans Rival (P850) for us to take home. The cakes here are actually quite reasonably priced.
After lunch, my grandmother wanted to see what was on the second level so one of the waiters very kindly took her up (I followed shortly after). There are many rooms here. If you want to have a private function, you can book one of these rooms (or in fact, you can book multiple rooms or even the entire floor or restaurant).
Our lunch as Casa Roces was a truly memorable one. The food is amazing and the service is superb. The Old Filipino vibe gives this place a very cultural atmosphere, making guests enjoy a important part of history while still feeling very comfortable and welcome. While it is on the expensive side, I strongly recommend this place and I will certainly be back here in the future.
Casa Roces
http://www.casaroces.com/
Casa Roces facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/casarocesphils
1153 JP Laurel cor Aguado St. San Miguel, Manila
Telephone nos: +632.735.5896, +632.488.1929
Mobile no: +63917.550.9743
Located at the corner of Jose P. Laurel and Aguado Streets and just right in front of Malacanang Palace, Casa Roes is another residence-turned-restaurant, similar to La Cocina De Tita Moning which is just a block away. This restaurant has a colonial, Old Filipino feel to it, with its interesting floor design, beautiful wooden furniture, and Filipiniana memorabilia such as a bust of Jose Rizal and a sarimanok.
The restaurant is named after Joaquin "Chino" Roces, who was the founder of the Associated Broadcasting Company and the Manila Times. (I assume this used to be his house.) A statue of a newsboy holding up a Manila Times paper stands in the middle of a small pond at the entrance of the restaurant, reminding guests of the contributions of this legendary Filipino.
The menu of this restaurant was specially prepared by Cravings. There were so many items on the menu that looked interesting so we decided to over-order. After all, if we couldn't consume everything over lunch, we could just take the leftovers home (which is exactly what we did).
While we ordered the standard Paella Valenciana (P565) - you can't really go wrong with this - I wanted to try something different as well. I also ordered the Paella Morcilla (P500) which is creamy paella rice with Morcilla Iberica and roasted squash. This was a really good choice and I'm glad I got to try something new.
Paella Morcilla (P500)
We also got a couple of appetizers, including the Oyster Mushroom Frittura (200). I'm a big fan of mushrooms so I would this to be a wonderfully delicious and addictive starter. It comes with slightly spicy marinara sauce but it is good with or without the sauce.
Oyster Mushroom Frittura (P200)
While everything we ordered was really good, my favorite main course was quite possibly the Pollo Iberico (P800 for a whole chicken). This dish is very well-seasoned and cooked to perfection. Its flavor profile is different from other roast chickens I've had. (Too bad my photo is a bit out of focus.)
Pollo Iberico (P800)
Not everything on the menu is Filipino or Spanish-Filipino. The Oven-baked Salmon Wellington (P460) is a salmon fillet stuffed with Boursin cheese in flaky pastry crust and served with a spinach lemon cream sauce. This too was pretty exceptional.
Oven-baked Salmon Wellington (P460)
We also tried the Berenjana Casada (P300). This cheese gratinated baked eggplant is prepared with homemade Spanish tomato sauce and a balsamic reduction.
Berenjana Casada (P300)
Almost everyone was stuffed at the end of lunch but I still wanted to try at least one dessert. The obvious choice for me was the Malacañan Frozen Souffle (P415). This frozen lemon custard souffle with dark chocolate flakes, pistachio nuts and lemon lavender sauce was stunning. It is quite possibly one of the best desserts I've had, with the flavors and textures of its different ingredients complementing each other perfectly. I remember thinking after having this dish that I wanted to have it again. It was an incredible way to end a fantastic meal.
Malacanan Frozen Souffle (P500)
Apart from these, we also had several other dishes, including Baked Laing dip, Grilled Pork Ribs, Pinakbet with Bagnet, and Lengua. You can check out the full menu here. Since it was my brother's birthday, we also got a full Chocolate Sans Rival (P850) for us to take home. The cakes here are actually quite reasonably priced.
After lunch, my grandmother wanted to see what was on the second level so one of the waiters very kindly took her up (I followed shortly after). There are many rooms here. If you want to have a private function, you can book one of these rooms (or in fact, you can book multiple rooms or even the entire floor or restaurant).
Our lunch as Casa Roces was a truly memorable one. The food is amazing and the service is superb. The Old Filipino vibe gives this place a very cultural atmosphere, making guests enjoy a important part of history while still feeling very comfortable and welcome. While it is on the expensive side, I strongly recommend this place and I will certainly be back here in the future.
Casa Roces
http://www.casaroces.com/
Casa Roces facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/casarocesphils
1153 JP Laurel cor Aguado St. San Miguel, Manila
Telephone nos: +632.735.5896, +632.488.1929
Mobile no: +63917.550.9743
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